


You belong with me

by SunflowerPao



Category: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Normal High School, F/M, Football | Soccer, Hurt Ricky, Hurt/Comfort, Music, Senior year
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:00:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23955004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunflowerPao/pseuds/SunflowerPao
Summary: HSMTMTS AUNini Salazar-Roberts was staring her senior year in a good note, she had an amazing group of friends a loving family and a great job, this was supposed to be her best year. Until her world came crashing down because of one boy.Ricky Bowen was returning to the only place he called home to finish high school, he quickly realized that things were not the same, at least he wasn’t, now a football superstar, he was not the sweet kid she once knew.  She broke her promise to him, once a promise is broken it cannot be fixed.What happens when Ricky’s future is out of his hands and the only person who can help him is the girl he loved all those years ago?Will Nini follow her senior plans or let the curly haired boy put everything upside down?
Relationships: Ricky Bowen & Nini Salazar-Roberts
Comments: 3
Kudos: 42





	1. A start never dies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A childhood flashback

_Flash back March 13, 2011_

_Age: 9_

_“Ricky come on run faster, they are going to realize we are not in my room and they’ll start looking for us” said Nini while he was trying to run with 12 pack of twinkies on his hands, they were trying to get to Nini’s treehouse._

_“Neens I’m trying, you are the one who wanted all of this food in the first place” which was true Nini loved Twinkies._

_“Just follow me, I promise it will be something very cool" Nini had already started to climb the rope stairs that led to the old tree house, or well was trying to climb, she was wearing a very uncomfortable dress that her moms forced her to, all to please Lola. Once upstairs she looked up at the sky and knew she had made a good decision._

_“Come goldilocks I’ll help you” he passed her all of the twinkies and glanced at her, he hated when she called him that, he wasn’t blond, but he did have very curly hair, Nini loved making her best friend blush._

_Nini pulled out an old blanket and laid on it so she was looking up at the sky, she motioned Ricky to the do the same._

_“So are you going to tell me why you wanted to escape the dinner party so we could lay in the ground, I wanted to watch the end of the movie” they were watching Shrek 2 when she had her great idea._

_“You are impossible when you don’t your beauty sleep goldilocks, we have seen that movie like a million times” they practically knew the whole script_

_"But if you really want to know just look up” both of them did and for a few minutes you could only heard the sound of insects and cars that passed in the distance. Whenever Nini looked at the stars it was a special moment for her, she could never explain it, but it felt that every start in the sky had a story, a story that she wanted to know._

_“Neens, why had I never realized how the starts look from up here?" asked a very concentrated Ricky._

_“Because we are always busy with something else and never stop to appreciate the little things”_

_"What do you think happens when a star dies? They, they can't they last forever, can they?" He kept his eyes on the sky, Nini could her best friend's voice slowly breaking_

_Her grandmother had died recently and she knew he was still hurting, but Nini always told him that like starts, we shined with our own bright light, and that when we die we became starts in the sky so we could light up the life of our loved ones._

_"When a star dies there'll always be a black hole, and no other star can replace it, it is like people, when they leave, they leave a hole in us and nobody can replace them, they leave parts of them in us or well that is what I believe and also something I read in mama D astrology magazine about the universe"_

_Ricky just started at her and gave her hand tight squeeze._

_“Nini I promise that you will always have a special place in my heart, you are the light in my life” as he said this things Nini couldn’t do anything but smile and hug her best friend._

_"Ricky you will always have a place in my heart " she said, and he hugged her tighter._

_That day Nini learn two things: how much a wasp bite hurts and that many times people make promises that they cannot keep, and that will always hurt more than any insect bite._


	2. Nini and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first week of school is almost over and the only things Nini wants is to hang out with her friends, but the universe has other plans for her

August 16, 2019

Nini was currently in physics class, her last period before lunch. She could feel her stomach growling, it was nearly impossible to ignore it, she should have taken the yogurt her mom offered her before getting into her jeep.

It was Friday, the first week of school was almost and over all she was really liking her classes, but today she started the day with the wrong foot. Her alarm didn’t go off, so she overslept and had only 20 minutes to get ready, she had to take a cold shower as her mom had used all the hot water and the old jeep had given her a fight as it took 5 minutes for the engine to start. It was like destiny telling her today wasn’t going to a good day.

And it really wasn’t

“As you can see, in this exercise is important you remember to use the forma of the second law of newton, you may think you can use other on but…” Nini’s attention drifted from Mr. James class and went directly to the soccer field, today was game day for the East High Wildcats against some school form out of district, it was the first game of the season and it was really important for the seniors, including her best friend Seb how was a starting player on the team.

East High was known for the soccer team states and nationals’ championships, to date they had 8 eight state titles and 5 nationals. When it was soccer season it was what everyone talked about, her brother was a player on the team until he graduated 3 years ago, now he was pre-med in the University of Utah.

Nini was never a big fan of soccer, never really understanding why everyone was running chasing a ball, but somehow, she ended up befriending Seb on the first day of her freshmen year and she hadn’t missed a game since then. She knew how much it meant for him that his friends were there to support him, his parents were always traveling on business, he needed someone to cheer him on.

She knew that no matter what the score on today’s game, there’ll be a party at some player house, that would end up with a bunch of drunk freshmen, some couple having sex in the master bedroom and the police showing up at 3 am, this was cycle that repeated itself every Friday night, but for tonight she was looking forward to binge watch the newest grey’s anatomy season.

Nini’s thoughts about tonight were interrupted by a loud snore that was coming from behind her, she turned around only to remember that Seb was seating there. It wasn’t something new, he slept on half of his classes, it was still a mystery how he managed to still have B average. Nini wanted to take a picture to put in her story but then remember that if any on the player got detention the coach wouldn’t start them on the game, she needed him to wake up.

“Seb, ptss, Seb come on knucklehead wake up” he moved a little but only to snore louder, he was in a really deep sleep, her plan wasn’t working so she literally took his head in her hands and started to shake him until he finally woke up.

At the same time Seb finally woke up, the teacher stopped talking and all of the sudden, everyone was looking at Nini including the teacher, she remembered the ultimatum of her moms about another detention that had to do with the Jeep, she was going to kill Seb.

“You two, out now before I change my mind” said Mr. James pointing at Nini and Seb, in the blink of eye they gather their things and ran out of the classroom, public humiliation was better than detention.

“You own me a milkshake for that Seb” she wanted to be mad at him, but she couldn’t.

“Whatever you want sweetheart”

After their sudden departure form class, Seb wanted a burger and Nini wanted to eat anything she was starving at this point, so they got in Seb’s civic and drove to the closest In-N-Out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The universe did not like Nini today, after getting their food from the drive thru, Nini was dirking her vanilla milkshake when Seb almost missed a red light and had step on the brakes, hard, this made Nini spilled the milkshake allover her and Seb only laughed as they made their way into the school parking lot.

After changing her shirt to her Wildcats hoodie, she got into the cafeteria, Nini never consider herself popular but having Seb a soccer player and Gina the school’s newspaper and yearbook director as best friends came with the title.

At lunch she and Gina will always seat with the soccer team and the cheerleaders, the majority of the time she enjoyed the silly things the things the guys from the team said, but their girlfriends were the one who got in her nerves.

As she approached them, she was Big Red the goalie of the team and another player having an argument about tonight’s game.

“I’m telling you man he is going to start, so get ready to be in the bench all game” said Big Red who was seating in the table next to Gina

“I can’t believe we go trough 2 weeks of soccer camp and this guy just shows up this week and things he is Messi” This really sparked Nini’s curiosity, who was the guy they were talking about.

“Well not Messi but he is good, coach said something about having won states in Chicago or something, plus we need to win tonight, I’m all for it, if he scores like on practice” said Seb who appeared behind her.

“Who is this guy?” asked Gina as Seb handed her the friends they had bought her

“I don’t remember, I think Ruben or something” not many players were paying attention and the conversation quickly shifted about something Natalie said about tonight’s party.

“So Nini about tonight, you are coming right?” said Gina with those ‘I want something eyes’ it was the same every week, she knew how much Gina loved those parties, sometimes too much, the last time they went out Nini spend 1 hour on the bathroom because Gina had the great idea to mix four loko and vodka, not a pretty scene.

“No Gi, I’m not going to the party I’m always the designated driver and it’s not fun anymore”

“I come with a proposition, as you always take such good care of us I’ll be the designated driver, but please come it’s the first party of the year, pleaseeee” she was doing those cute eyes just like when they were in six grade and she wanted Nini to convince her Mom to let her sleepover.

“So, I can drink all I want?” Is not like she drank too much, but she did like beer.

“So, you are saying yes”

“Yes Gi” she hugged

“Perfect I’ll pick you up at 7 for the game”

With that lunch passed quickly, between the team talking about the game and Gina almost choking a cheerleader when she complained about about last year’s yearbook.

The bell rang and the tree of them got up to Calculus class, it was the only class they all had together. They started heading to the classroom when Nini realized she didn’t have her book but specially the homework inside of it, it was the first week and she didn’t want to make a bad impression with the teacher.

“Guys I forgot my book, I’ll see in class save me a seat!” and with that Nini began the race of getting to her locker and back to the classroom in less than 5 minutes if not she was toasted, it didn’t help that her locker was on the side of the building.

Nini was fighting students trying to her locker, when she did, she quickly took her book and started running back, but she wasn’t looking and didn’t see the guy coming the opposite way.

Nini felt the hit in her head and fell backwards and all of her things where now on the floor, the person who hit her was also on the floor rubbing is arm.

She sat down and started gathering her things when the bell rang, the boy in front of her did the same.

Nini was about to get up when she hears the voice of the boy in front of her.

“Watch where you are going shorty, you can’t just run people like that” Who was this boy, she was actually going to apologized but hell he didn’t deserve it.

Nini had a piece of her mind she wanted to share with him, but as soon as she saw those caramel eyes, she couldn’t get words out of the mouth.

“They never teach you not t … “he was still yelling at her, until her saw her, he couldn’t finish his sentence and just like her he went speechless.

Four a couple of seconds, that felt like hours, both of them stood looking at each other, he was a lot taller, but his hair was still very curly, and she was still the same as he remembered her just with longer hair but the same lips that formed the most beautiful smile.

Nini was the first one to react, he shoved passed him as he called her name, and it took 2 second to realize she couldn’t go to class like that, so she headed to the parking lot and got in the jeep, sends a text to Gi saying she was feeling poorly, threw her bag behind her and started the engine.

In the drive home all she could think was, what was he doing here? why did he come back? why my school? Why me?

She couldn’t let him affect her, it’s not like he cared about her before, and clearly, he couldn’t care about her now. Her eyes were filing up with tears and her head started to hurt, she didn’t want to know anything about him right now, but the only thing she knew was that she was not going to let him break her heart again.

Definitely it wasn't her day


	3. Friday night lights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After deciding that the boy he loved all those years ago didn't deserve her tears, Nini goes to the game only realize her day could only get worse

_“But Derek, I love you, in a really, really big – pretend to like your taste in music, let you eat the last piece of cheesecake, hold a radio over my head outside your window – unfortunate way that makes me hate you, love you. So pick me. Choose me. Love me”_

Nini was about to finish her 4 grey’s anatomy episode, this scene always killed her, she never understood how stupid Derek was to not kiss her right there an then, but she knew they ended up together with 2 kids and a pretty marriage, before Shonda Rimes ripped her heart out in season 11.

She was currently in her living room all wrapped up in her polka dot blanket, the one that was always in the bottom drawer of her closet, she only used it when she was upset and wanted a hug, and seeing as her moms were working late, Carol at the courthouse with a big case and Danna working the night shift at the hospital, using the blanket was the best choice at the moment.

When the episode ended, she was debating whether to keep watching or go to the fridge for more chocolate chip ice-cream, it wasn’t a hard decision, ice cream it was.

As she was walking downstairs trying not trip as she was holding the blanket, she heard the front door open, maybe she had left it open after coming home and someone was trying to rob them, she went down the stairs slowly, when she reached to floor she graved the first thing she found, in this case, an umbrella.

With all the things that happened today for her, she did not think her actions clearly. As she saw a silhouette in the kitchen Nini was prepared to attack her intruder, she didn’t think twice and started hitting the robber, all she could do was scream.

“What the fuck Nina? you want to take my eye out?” said the intruder, but as he faced her, she realized it was only her annoying older brother, EJ.

“EJ what are you doing here?” EJ was a sophomore at the University of Utah, he came to their house like once a month to have family dinner but that was it, he really liked his dorm and his roommates. 

“Well mom said I could come and do my laundry here since the washing machine in the dorms broke down, I tried calling you like seventeen times, I thought I asked you if wanted to get some diner, but I see you have other plans” he clearly could see how her sister was upset about something, her hair was a mess and her eyes were red and puffy, but then his eyes traveled to the blanket and he knew his little sister was more than upset.

“Neens are you okay? Last time I found you like this some jerk had stood you up on homecoming, your cried for like two days” they sat down in the kitchen counter.

This is why Nini hated about worrying her family, her brother didn’t need to know about her love life and neither her moms. They always look at her like a little girl.

“EJ why do you think something happened? can’t I have a quiet evening watching tv shows?” she knew it was useless she couldn’t fool him, but she still tried.

“Nini, remember the time you were six and I found you putting my favorite frog in the microwave and you swore that you didn’t know how they got there, so that five minutes later you started sobbing admitting it was you? I know you pretty well to know that you have been in the couch for no less than four hours and you probably already finish an ice cream container, so tell who I need to punch now?” He started at Nini expecting to tell him who made her feel like this.

“Ricky” said the youngest almost whispering, covering herself with the blanket.

“Ricky? What are you talking about Nini? I haven’t heard you talk about a Ricky since..” He didn’t finish his sentence before he stood up from the counter.

“You mean Ricky Bowen? Nini I don’t get it last time we hear about him was almost six years ago, didn’t he live in Colorado?”

“In Chicago, he lived in Chicago not Colorado, or at least that’s what I thought” Nini tried really hard to contain the tears from coming from her eyes.

“What you mean lived, where is he now?” EJ asked

“Here, now he lives here. I saw him at school today, he is much taller than I remember” but his eyes still have the same gold sparkles in them.

“Did he hurt you, because if he did, I swear to God” Nini didn’t like when he got all protective over her.

“No, nothing like that is just that, we accidently bumped into each other and he started shouting at me but the second we realized who the other was, it was like the world stopped and I couldn’t get a word out so I just ran to my jeep and came straight home. I don’t even know what time it is”

“It’s almost six”

“Nina I need you to look at me, you cannot let his boy and his family hurt you. They have done enough don’t you think? you cannot let the past still hunt you, it’s been a while and things have changed you are not a little girl anymore, you are an incredible young woman and that stupid boy doesn’t deserve your tears. Now get up, if you don’t have plans let’s get to dinner”

Shit Gina and the game, Nini thought. Her friends probably have called her and wonder where she was.

“Actually, Gina is picking me up for the game, we’re going to cheer Seb”

“Well then you better get ready and have fun tonight, remember how much you are worth baby sis” EJ give her a kiss in the forehead “In other news, where is your phone?”

“My phone” Nini yelled and went to her car to get it, she knew she’ll have to answer some questions from her friends, but first the game.

\----------*----------

_Let's go crazy, crazy, crazy 'til we see the sun  
I know we only met but let's pretend it's love  
And never, never, never stop for anyone  
Tonight let's get some and live while we're young  
Whoa oh oh oh oh oh oh oh  
Whoa oh oh oh oh oh oh oh and live while we're young  
Whoa oh oh oh oh oh oh oh  
Tonight let's get some and live while we're young_

"It's not unbelievable that after so long, these beautiful humans have not gotten back together, remember when went to their concert in 2014, and you were so excited that you forgot to go to the bathroom all day, those were good times "

Nini was keep listening to one direction’s melody and the sweet voice of her best friend but they sounded distant even though she was in the same car. There was only one thing in her mind, Ricky Bowen.

“Neens are you actually going to tell me why you disappeared at school? and why when I picked you up it looked like you had just seen a ghost?

Worse than a ghost, a bad memory.

“I told you the milkshake didn’t set well so I drove home and forgot my phone in my car. I slept for a few hours and now I’m good as new.

“I’m going to pretend I believe you, but I now sooner or later you are going to tell me the truth”

“Gina, you never change do you?” Nini asked her

“You know me, always looking for at the whole picture”

Just as Gina finished, they arrived at the parking lot, there were more people than expected. The girls got out of the car and Gina keep talking about how good of a journalist she was, and she always found what she was looking for, but Nini was lost in her own thoughts specially in those curls see saw earlier.

They got to the stand and found their usual spot, just in the middle of the bleachers and had a perfect view of the entire field and was just above the bench of the team. They found their seats and next to them was Nathalie, she was a junior and her brother was new to the team, she was the only couple of people that knew Nini before she changed schools, she knew about Ricky and that worried her.

“Hey girls nice to see you, how was your summer?” Nathalie asked them

Gina started telling her all about her internship in the local newspaper and how she got to see a journalist in action, when she talked about things, she loved her eyes just got a different glow.

“What about you Nini, you worked at the hospital right?”

“Yeah, after 2 years of candy stripping, I finally got to work in the physical therapy wing. Doctor Jenn trained me all summer so I could start treating patients next week, I’m actually really exited”

Since she was little Nini liked visiting her mom at the hospital, Danna was an ER nurse, that’s where she met Carol when she broke her arm roller skating many years ago. So Nini always brought her lunch and one day she saw the add to be a candy striper. She had been working there since her sophomore year, until one day she ended up in the physical therapy wing of the hospital and it was like she had found her true calling, she loved helping people get better she liked getting to know them.

When she met Doctor Jenn and express her interest in being a PT volunteer, she didn’t like the idea very much, but as she saw how delicate and dedicated Nini was to the patients, she was convinced Nini would be a great addition to her team.

“So now I’m actually going to get paid, I’ll be working 3 times a week” Nini hadn’t told anyone yet, but she thought it was a great time to say it

“Nini that’s really cool, that’ll great in collage application” Gina said, all junior year their little group had gotten into different activities in order to have more chances to get into their dream schools.

The girls kept talking for a bit and Nini could see how the bleacher started to fill up, a lot of people came to game as their soccer team actually won games not like their football team, they were a lost cause as Seb had called them. The cheerleading team came put which meant the team will start warmups, Nini and Gina really enjoyed warmups as they could see all the cute boys from the other team they were playing.

They were playing at school out of district so they had never seen the boys on the team, they were a couple of cute ones Nini thought, she never really had time to date or that’s what she told herself, she didn’t like the idea of a boy breaking her heart, again.

A voice came through the speakers, it was Carlos, he had been doing the school announcements each morning since their freshmen year, so when they asked him to narrate the soccer games, he said yes “Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen welcome to the first game of the season, please welcome the Wildcats”

The crowd started to cheer the team as the players came out to the field, Seb was finally selected to be the Capitan and he cried when he told Nini and Gina, they were very proud of their best friend. Nini was very happy for him but as her eyes landed on the boy next to him, her heart stopped.

Standing on the edge of the field was the one and only Ricky Bowen. Now that Nini looked at him he had actually grown a lot, he was wearing the uniform with the number seven on the back, her lucky number Nini thought. She hated herself for remember little thing about him, he still wore blue cleats but what caught her attention was the ankle brace on his left ankle, it seemed like he was using for precaution, but she could remember perfectly why he had to wear it.

_Flash back. January 11, 2013_

_Age: 11_

_Nini was sitting on the bleacher next to her dad’s best friend, they always cheer him on together and Ricky really liked having people supported him during the games. He was doing pretty well he had score on the first half and was looking for a second one, Ricky was running at full speed with the ball at his feet, he was trying to reach the goal zone and try to shoot closer to the goalie, but as he got closer a defender from the opposite time tried to get to the ball, the only problem was that he got to Ricky’s ankle instead._

_Ricky laid on the ground for a couple of seconds, but the game was still in full swing, so he tried to get up, but when he tried his face was full of pain and he collapsed on the field. Nini eyes never left his best friend, she didn’t know what to do. The referee saw that Ricky was still on the ground and stopped the game so the coach could come to the field and when the coach called for a paramedic Nini was almost at the edge of tears._

_Ricky was clearly in pain and when the paramedic tried to move his ankle in a certain way, he let out a loud sob and that’s when the adults helped him up the field without putting any pressure on his ankle. Mike was on his feet motioning her to follow him to the car, they need to get Ricky to the ER._

_After a short trip to the ER where Ricky tried his hardest not to cry and Nini held his hand, they got to the hospital and Mike helped him get into a wheelchair. They meet Danna at the entrance and they quickly got him into a gurney so the doctors could help him, a nurse started putting an IV on him and his dad went to call his mom that was at work._

_Nini could see her best friend knuckles turning white so she took his hand in her._

_“Nini I’m scared, what if it’s broken and I can’t play anymore” she could see the worry in his eyes_

_“Ricky you are going to be fine, you’ll have to rest for a bit, but you’ll be playing in no time”_

_“You promise?”_

_“What I know is that the doctor needs to do an x-ray so right you have to relax”_

_It ended up being a second grade, they gave him a walking boot that he had to use for a month, but then he was better. Nini knew how he started wearing the brace because he was scared to get injured again and she hated that she remembered so much about him._

After spacing out for a few minutes the team kept warming up, it was almost time for the gem to start.

“Who is number 7 I thought I knew all the cute boys from the team” Gina said and Nini just kept quiet. “That’s the guy the team was talking about al lunch, now it makes sense he does look like he’s good”

“He’s Ricky I heard he just moved back here, Nini knows him” Nathalie said, and it took Nini a second to know what to say.

“I don’t really remember him, he looks familiar, but I don’t” Nathalie gave her a confuse look but then the teams started gathering so the game could start.

If Ricky was as good as she remembers him this was going to be an easy win for them. Nini kept his eyes on him and he looked eyes with someone and smiled. It was his dad, but he wasn’t alone there was a little girl next to him that’s didn’t look older than five. Now Nini was really confused but she didn’t want to know, he had already caused her enough pain.

Carlos voice came through the speakers again. Let the game begin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiii guys I'm not going to lie I had totally forgot about this story but because I need a distraction from his pandemic here's another chapter  
> Enjoy :)


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